Thursday could be the end for St. Patrick's bell tower

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Updated 10:06 pm, Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Workers strung cables through the large windows atop the bell tower of St. Patrick's Church Wednesday afternoon to prepare it for demolition Thursday morning.

City residents and the curious, some carrying lawn chairs, gathered Wednesday on street corners to see if the 137-foot-tall bell tower would fall. Nothing happened as the needed equipment didn't arrive until Wednesday afternoon.

The top of the bell tower is to now be pulled down Thursday morning, according to city and Nigro Companies officials. The rest of its demolition would follow.

The tower's demolition had been expected to be finished by Wednesday.

A large hydraulic boom lifted the workers to place the cables, which could be seen hanging on the middle post of the east side of the brick tower.

The cables will be attached to an excavator that will pull them to cause the tower to fall back on to the space where the rest of the church once stood.

The middle pillar would be pulled out, said Steve Powers, vice president of Nigro Companies, which is developing the site of the church. The project will not be halted despite expected rain Thursday.